Rubber cushioning device



J1me 15, 1948. ELUYTER 2,443,201

RUBBER CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed March 17, 1941 Patented June 15, 1948 RUBBER CUSHIONIN G DEVICE Nicolaas' Sluyter, Haarlem, Netherlands; vested in the Attorney General of the United States Application March 17, 1941, Serial No. 383,860 In the Netherlands March 7, 1949 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires March 7, 1960 3Claims.

1 The inventionrelates to a rubber cushioning device and rubbercushioning elements adapted for use therein for various purposes, such as the cushioning of seats in motdrcars, busses and other vehicles, mattresses, chair seats, arms and backs of chairs.

The invention is based on the principle that by suitably shaping the walls of hollow rubber elements a very convenient and comfortable cushioning means is obtainable which may be' adapted to various purposes.

It is also based on the fact that a flat rubber strip, or a fiator smoothwalled rubber tube section, which elements in their'original shape are unsuitable for cushioning purposes, obtain a larger resistance b deforming or denting than tubular members or strips, which have not been brought under pre-tension by such a deformation or impression or denting. The invention, therefore, consists in a rubber cushioning-device, in which the cushioning element by local impression or deformation, as by bending, is brought and kept from an original untensioned condition in a condition in which it is under pre-tcnsion and in which it has the shape suitable for exerting its cushioning efiect in the cushioning device.

Thus, according to the invention, the cushioning element of the rubber cushioning device may consist in a rubber tube section, the ends of which constitute the supporting and carrying surfaces and the axial section of which has the corrugated configuration referred to above.

The corrugated configuration of the axial section may iurtheraccording to the invention be obtained by means of one or more rings, th inside diameter of which is smaller than the outside diameter of the rubber tube section in tensionless and unloaded condition, which rings, spaced from one another, encompass and locally contract the tube section.

The corrugated configuration according to the invention may also be obtained by one or more rings, the outside diameter of which is larger than the inside diameter. of the rubber tube section in tensicnless and unloaded condition, which rings, spaced from one another, are arranged within the tube section and are locally forced outwardly.

In order to obtain a better understanding of the possibilities of the invention, some embodiments thereof, to which, however, the-invention is not limited, are shown in the drawing by way of example.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an axial sectional view of a cushioning element according to the invention, in th initial condition without pre-tenslon.

Fig. la. is a similar view showing the element under tension.

Fig. 2 is an axial sectional view of a modifica-' tion.

Fig, 2a is a similar view showing the modification of Fig. 2 under tension.

According to Figures 1 and la the rubber cushioning element comprises a rubber tube section '1, the wall of which at the exterior is provided with spaced superposedcircumferential grooves 2. Atthe ends, the closure portions 3 and i are directed inwardly. The end closure poitions 3 and t have openings 3 and 4' respectively therein, said openings permitting atmospheric pressure to be maintained within the cushioning element. In Fig. 1a rings 5 of rubber or of stiff material are arranged in the grooves 2, whereby the cushioning element is brought under pre-tension and is somewhat shortened. Thereby the closure portions 3 and t have been brought into parallel planes. A similar cushioning element may be mounted in a seat, the ends then constituting the carrying and supporting surfaces adapted to be connected with parts of the seat. To this latter end press button closures may serve but other connecting means are of course also possible,

According to Figures 2 and 2a the rings 6 are located at the interior instead of at the exterior as in Figs. 1 and 1a. The rubber tube section I is in this case, provided with external circumferential ribs and internal circumferential grooves 1 and with outwardly directed flat closure portions 3 and 4 which, as shown in Fig. 2a, are later positioned in parallel planes. In both cases the wall is corrugated.

Cushioning elements according to the two embodiments referred to above may, either separately or in the required number, constitute the cushioning device of various objects. Thus, the number of suitably spaced cushioning elements may constitute the cushionin means of a seat.

I claim:

1. A rubber cushioning device comprising a tubular rubber element for supporting the load to be cushioned, said element having circumferential corrugations in the wall thereof deformed from an originally untensioned into a tensioned condition and extending transversely of the direction of the load pressure, a flat closure member integral with at least one end of said element and held by said tension in a plane substantially normal to the direction of the load pressure, a plurality of spaced rings located in the interior of said element having a diameter larger than the tubular element and compressibly engaging the inside diameter of said element in untensioned wall of the latter to force the adjacent portions andunloaded condition so that said rings will of said element laterally at spaced points in order force said element outwardly at spaced points in to place said element under tension, and means order to place said element under tension, and including an opening in said closure member means including an opening in said closure memfor maintaining atmospheric pressure within her for maintaining atmospheric pressure withsaid element. 7

in said element. d v1 is NICOLAAB 2. A rubber cushioning e ce compr ing a tubular rubber element for supportingthe load 10 REFERENCES CITED to be cushioned, said element having circumier- The following references are of record in the ential corrugations in the wall thereof deformed m of t patent: from an originally untensioned into a tensioned condition and extending transversely of the di- UNITED STATES PATENTS I 3/ rection of the load pressure, a flat closure mem- Number Name Dateber integral with at least one end of said element 85,938 Kirkpatrick Jar 1916869., and held by said tension in a planesubstantially 168,845 Pratt ,{Oct 19, 1879 normal to the direction of the load pressure, a 168,846 Pratt 14;- Oct, 19, 1875 plurality of spaced rings located on the exterior 170,590 Pratt Nov. 30, 1870 of said element having a diameter smaller than 519,807 ClOlldf. May 15, last the outside diameter of said element in unten- 771,809 ,,/Biirnell Oct. 11, 1904 sioned and unloaded condition so that said rings 1,266,359 Vining May 14, 1918 will force said element inwardly at spaced points l(,4 38,0'70 Turan -4; Dec, 5, 1932 in order to place said element under tension, and 1,602,079 Kraft Oct. 5, 1928 means including an opening in said closuremenf- 1,745,959 Steiner Feb, 4, 1930 her for maintaining atmospheric pressurewithina 1,818,357 Rigotti Aug. 11, 1931. said element. 4/ 2,062,574 Heinze Dec. 1, 1938 3. A rubber cushioningrleirice comprising-a 2,15 ,747 Naulty Mar. 14, 1939 tubular rubber element Tor supporting the load 2,161,0 0 Murphy et al June 6, 1989 to be cushionedysaid element h'aving circumfer- 2,241,409 Mason may 13, 1941 ential corrugations in ,thewall thereof deformed I fro m an orlglnally' untensioned into a tensioned FOREIGN PATENTS condition and extending transversely of the di- Number C untry Date rection of the load pressure, a flat closure mem- 258,393 Great Britain p 1937 her integral with at least one end or said element 5 2 re t rit in une 2, 1 7 and held by said tension in a plane substantially 339,833 Great Britain a 2 1 3 normal to the direction of the load pressure, a 76,659 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1939 plurality of spaced rings concentric with said 1 France May 20, 1931 1 

